Promise Me
by ScreamChosen
Summary: The predictable happens. I think all can figure it out. A companion to 'Your Secret, Is Mine'. DEAD
1. You Remember?

_A/U- I did what I could, with what I had. Hopefully, it comes out good. _

_Rating- Well, I think it's a lot more mellow then the other story–that one was just violent. _

_Disclaimer- Im only allowed to own Daniel and Anne, 'cause...I created them. Joss owns everyone else. _

_Summary- I don't wanna give a summary, even though most people can already guess what this story's gonna be about. - _

_**Promise Me**_

"What do you mean you cant explain to me why she died? You are the ones who took her, now explain why you did it!"

"Lower being, warrior of light, we cannot do as such. Just be prepared for the battles that await you."

"No, we're not finished..!"

Buffy was thrown and landed outside; the Powers that Be, nowhere in sight. Growling frustratedly she slammed her fist into the hard cement, cracking it slightly.

"Dammit!"

She screamed, looking up at the sky.

"And fuck you too, bastards," talking to the Powers.

Sighing, she stood and brushed off her clothing. Yet another time she went to see them, only to have them tell her they couldn't say anything about Anne's death and then throw her out. It sucked. Now, her only destination was home.

-+-+-+-+-+

_She looked to her brother, then to Anne, who sat watching everything that happened. _

"_You can feel she misses and wants you back, cant you?"_

_Anne nodded sadly. _

"_But, doesn't everyone want their loved ones back after they've perished, sister?"_

"_Of course. But she's a special one. Most cant feel it, but she can. And..she misses them too." _

"_She was taken suddenly, of course she misses them." _

"_Can I go back?" _

_Anne asked suddenly, which caused both siblings to turn and stare at her. She knew her brother would be harsh with the child, so she dealt with speaking in this situation. _

"_Little one, it is quite impossible for us to send you back. There is no opening for you to be sent to them." _

"_You mean...they replaced me?"_

"_Of course they didn't, especially not the vampire. And the mother, she's distraught still, even after months and months of grieving. What is meant by opening, is a way to get you back. Your body is in the ground with no way to be brought up, and other then the portal that the warriors use, there is no connection between us and the lower beings." _

_Anne just nodded, upset that she'd never see her mother, or any of her family, ever again. _

_-+-+-+-+-+_

When Buffy walked into the Hyperion, she saw Angel struggling with a demon and Wesley reading from a book in what sounded like Latin. She was about to help when she was thrown back; a huge portal opening in the middle of the room. She groaned and sat up, sighing.

"I am really sick of portals tossing me around like a rag doll."

Once Angel noticed the portal was open, he pushed the demon in. But the portal didn't close, even with Wesley reading the book.

"Okay, Wes, close it."

"I..I am. Or trying to.."

He continued to speak in Latin until he reached the end of the passage, and stopped. He looked at Buffy, then Angel, and sighed.

"I guess...it closes on its own."

-+-+-+-+-+

The three of them were downstairs in the apartment, drinking tea. Daniel was in his high chair, eating the baby food Buffy was feeding him. He had gotten so big, he'd be eating solids in no time.

Daniel rarely smiled after Anne had died, and when, on the rare occasion that they can make him smile, they'd cherish it. It upset Buffy and Angel a great deal to think that he had become a sad, somewhat miserable baby, from a happy, peppy baby. Just that in itself was depressing.

"What type of portal did you open? One that you put change in to keep it around for a few hours?"

"No. I-I don't know, Angel. Its...it was supposed to close. Something must be holding it open."

There was an extremely loud crashing sound from above them; in the lobby.

"I think whatever's holding it just stopped by to pay a visit."

They all got up to go inspect it, but Angel stopped Buffy.

"Stay with Daniel. We'll take care of this."

She sighed and sat back down, looking down at Daniel who was now in her arms. Smiling, she poked at him gently.

"Ya know, kid? You're really putting a cramp in my style."

It was one of those moments, he smiled.

-+-+-+-+-+

Angel came back down twenty minutes later, paler then he'd ever been. Buffy noted his expression, and stood.

"What? What is it?"

"You've...gotta see...I.."

Buffy walked over to Daniels playpen and put him inside, which only made him restless, nevertheless, the smile stayed on his face. She wondered what was going on.

She walked upstairs with him, only to be welcomed by a large mound of dirt with a coffin placed on top. In front of it, was a headstone. Anne's.

Buffy almost lost all she ever ate right there. Holding her stomach, she doubled over, almost falling, but Angel caught her.

A dark figure ran past them, and headed right down into the apartment. It was too fast to be seen.

"Daniel!," Buffy cried out, forcing herself to get back on her feet and race down after it, Angel following close behind. When they made it downstairs, they looked around, not seeing anything in the dimness of the apartment. Looking over at the playpen, Daniel was no longer inside. But then, she heard him squealing and laughing happily. Looking around and straining her eyes to see in the darkness, she saw him, in the corner of the room.

"Daniel," she whispered, hoping that he'd use his new crawling skills and crawl over to her. But he had different plans.

"Whoever you are," Wesley threatened weakly from the stairs. "Let the baby go."

Buffy rolled her eyes at the weak attempt and inched closer to them. Before Buffy could get any closer, the dark figure decided to emerge.

Two dark brown eyes were revealed. And as the rest of its face came out, a small nose and full lips were shown. But the look on its face was not friendly, not happy, it was confused, and ready to attack if anyone threatened.

It put Daniel down, but he still refused to leave it's side. It got on its hands and knees and crawled to the brighter side of the apartment, to be fully seen. When it came to a stop, Daniel crawled over to it and sat in its lap.

Buffy felt sick again. This couldn't be real.

Anne was back.

-+-+-+-+-+

"Angel, its not real. It cant be real."

"Its..its..."

He was still in shock. His daughter was on the floor, with his son. His _dead_ daughter.

"Real."

Angel began to get closer to them both, while Buffy stayed behind.

"Anne?"

He asked, and she growled at him. He stopped moving and just stood in one place, trying to get on her good side, rather then staying on the 'Im gonna kill you' side.

"Anne, its me; daddy. Don't you remember? Remember..w-when mommy brought you to see me, you stayed with me and aunt Cordy? And then you met Kate? Who, Im sure you still hate. And Doyle. Remember? You used to love his accent?"

He was trying his best to get through to her, to reach her. It looked like it was working, but he wanted to be sure they had her completely back before making any rash movements.

"And-And remember we used to watch 'Beauty and the Beast' together? It was your favorite movie. We'd have our movie night together, eating popcorn, and watching 'Beauty and the Beast' with both Piggy and Mr Gordo. And you have to remember them. You love them. And then there's everyone else back home. Aunt Willow, aunt Dawn, aunt Tara; do you remember?," Buffy added.

Removing Daniel from her lap again, she tried to stand, but found she couldn't. She hadn't been in her own body for months. She had been somewhat of a higher being. She fell to her knees after trying to stand again, and just decided to crawl. Slowly at first, she made her way over to whoever was closer, and because her vision was blurry, she couldn't see good at all.

Shaking her head slightly, she continued to make her way over to them both, heading more or less towards Buffy. She could still sense her parents she was just having trouble telling one from the other.

"Ma.."

She cried out, unsure and her voice hoarse. Just her actions and the sound of her voice reminded them both just how long she was gone. When Anne finally reached her, both Buffy and Angel were in shock; complete and utter. Buffy wasn't sure if this was a dream or not, but all she knew was, it felt pretty damn real, and she was almost positive she was awake.

Anne's hand touched Buffy's foot, and she fell apart. Sobbing softly, she bent down and picked her up, and to Buffy's surprise, she didn't growl or attack her. Buffy held her up and stared at her for a moment, just examining her.

Anne's eyes darted about the room, examining and remembering. Buffy knew it was hard coming back from the dead, but at least Anne wasn't resurrected purposely and had to dig out of her own grave. Pulling Buffy from her thoughts was Anne whimpering, her arms outstretched to her. She wanted to feel that it was real.

Buffy embraced her slowly, but when she felt how familiar it was, how right, she held her closer and tighter. Her little girl was back, and everything was going to be alright.

-+-+-+-+-+

After the realization hit them all, Angel decided to stay with Daniel, while Buffy gave Anne a bath. Obviously, however she had gotten had been a rough ride, because she had been bleeding a bit when Buffy examined her. Her arms had minor cuts on them, and her hands were a bit roughed up too, but it was nothing Buffy couldn't fix.

Once she had the tub filled up, she undressed Anne carefully and put her in, hoping she'd decide to talk to her soon. Granted, she did call to her before, but she wanted her to say more. Anne did have quite the vocabulary. As Buffy washed her, she decided to speak to her.

"I...I missed you."

No answer. She just continued to stare at the faucet of the tub, almost ignoring her.

"I missed you a lot."

"I know, mama," she whispered softly, tearing her eyes from the shiny metal to look at her mother.

"I missed you too."

"How did you get back?," she asked tentatively.

"The Powers that Be."

"Why?"

"You."

"My constant visits?," she laughed nervously.

"Yes. I asked after you left."

"Today?"

She nodded slowly. It was hard for Anne to talk, and she was especially hesitant when it came to her coming back. It was a long and tiring experience, and Anne was ready for a nap.

-+-+-+-+-+

After her bath, Buffy dressed her and brought her to her room, so she could remember and examine everything about the room. Anne walked over to the bed and laid down. She looked over at her mother who was standing in the doorway, then down at her pillow.

"It smells like you."

"I..I slept here a lot. I missed you so much, and this room was all I had left of you."

Anne had no response, she just laid back down and reached next to her, grabbing the two pigs. She held them to herself, and looked up at her mother once more. No matter how long Anne could have been gone, Buffy knew that look anywhere. Sniffling slightly, she walked over to the bed and climbed in behind her, holding her.

"Love you, mama."


	2. What We're Fighting For: Part 1

Angel rubbed the sleep from his eyes, groaning when he found the sun shining on his face. He still wasn't used to the warmth, the suns harsh rays, or the fact that he could actually do things in the sun. He took Daniel to the park, taught Anne how to swim, helped Buffy plant flowers, ones that grow at night, even thought they could both bask and enjoy the sun. They were called Moon Flowers. Buffy loved them, so Angel did everything he could to get them for her.

He groaned again and rolled over. Buffy wasn't in bed. He ran his fingers through his hair and yawned, knowing that it would be a long day. He knew it was every day, and it was hard, but he and Buffy tried getting Anne back into her old routine. It was difficult, mostly because she was resistant. She wasn't used to her body and she didn't want to be bothered with much. He found her to just be a shell of her old self. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat up, stretching slightly. He didn't know how to help her or what to do. Buffy was at wits end and she also had Daniel to take care of. But what was more important? An infant, or a child that just came back from the grave, with little or no explanation at all?

He couldn't choose between his kids. He loved them both more then life itself. More then the fact that he had his humanity and there were no repercussions to making love to his wife. He would do anything for them, and that was why he fought every day–for them. Sighing, he stood and headed out the bedroom door, going up to the lobby. He wanted to see what Buffy had planned for the day. He walked into the lobby, and not a sound was made. He looked around to see where everyone was, and he saw no sign of life. He figured she must have taken the kids out. It seemed like a beautiful day and if they stayed inside, it would have been wasted.

He made his way to the fridge, finding that the time would pass faster if he got his hunger and hygiene out of the way. Opening the refrigerator door, he took out the orange juice and then closed the door, heading then towards the bathroom, drinking it as he walked. He checked the time on the alarm clock near the desk, and it read two in the afternoon. Had he slept that long?

-+-+-+-+

Buffy walked with the stroller, and Anne by her side, holding her hand. She thought it was a great idea to take both of them to the park. Daniel was just learning to walk and Anne needed to spend more time outdoors and around other children. Buffy hoped that maybe if she made friends, she'd feel better about getting back into the swing of things. She held Anne's hand slightly tighter and walked them into the playground. Anne seemed to be resistant, trying to back out of her grasp; she didn't like being around people.

"C'mon, Anne. What's wrong?"

Buffy slowed down and looked down at her small daughter, wondering what was wrong. Anne looked at all the happy, loud and running children, then at her mother, shaking her head slightly. If she convinced herself she'd be okay, she knew she would be.

"Nothing, mom."

Buffy looked at her skeptically, knowing for a fact that she was having second thoughts about being around people, but also knew that they couldn't back out now. They were there and she continued to lead them into the park. They walked through crowds and crowds of people, Anne pushing her body closer and closer to her mothers, almost making it impossible to walk. There was so much heat and she was so cold...it was wrong. Anne shivered as a little girl ran passed her and brushed up against her arm. So cold...Finally, they made it out of the crowds and to a bench, where Buffy sat down, sitting Anne next to her, and turning Daniel's stroller so that he faced her; she was going to give him his bottle and a snack.

Anne wrapped her arms around her waist and breathed deep, knowing something was wrong, but wasn't about to say anything to her mother. Who was she to ruin her mother and her brother's day? Finally getting over her chills, she sighed, and watched Daniel happily try to chew on his teething ring, and Buffy got out his cookies. Once Buffy settled Daniel down and gave him his cookies, she looked at all the other children having fun and playing, then at Anne, who was sitting next to her doing almost nothing.

"Anne? What's wrong? Don't you want to play, honey?"

Anne shook her head. Buffy sighed and looked around, seeing that everything but the swings were occupied, which surprised her.

"Hey, do you wanna go on the swings? I can push you. It'll be fun."

She tried to sound enthusiastic to excite her, but it didn't seem to do much. Anne just gave her a skeptical look. Buffy smiled and took Anne's hand, leading her from the bench. She took hold of Daniel's stroller and lead both kids to the swing section. Anne seemed reluctant at first, but then, when she saw it would just be them, she felt better about going on the swings. Once Buffy put the stroller's lock on and picked Daniel up, she headed over to Anne, bringing her over to where there was one baby swing next to an adult one. She placed Daniel in the baby swing, while he continued to chew on a cookie, and then picked up Anne, and helped her sit securely in one of the adult ones. She held on tightly once Buffy let go of her, but then once she realized how close she was to the ground, she wasn't all that afraid anymore.

"Ready?," Buffy asked as she stood behind her, ready to give her a small push. Anne looked over her shoulder and smiled, nodding slightly; Buffy took that as a really good sign.

-+-+-+-+

Angel shut the water off in the shower, and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around his waist. He stepped out and ran his fingers through his damp hair, getting some of the dripplets off of the tips of his hair. He went over to the sink and stared into the mirror. Every now and then he'd look at himself, and then he wouldn't really wonder why everyone was always staring at him.

"I always thought you were so beautiful."

A voice spoke from the doorway. Angel turned around, so caught up in staring at himself, that he didn't even notice his wife at the door. She smiled slightly, knowing he wasn't exactly comfortable or used to the mirror, and seeing himself was something he definitely wasn't used to.

"But, Im not as beautiful as you."

"How'd I know you were going to say that?"

She chuckled softly and walked up to him. He saw the uneasy look on her face, but was too distracted by her to really worry.

"I took the kids to the park," she started, lifting her hand up to caress his cheek. "Daniel loved it."

"And Anne?"

"She liked it too."

"There's something you're not telling me."

"Angel, please."

"Buffy. Did something happen? With Anne?"

He knew. He knew something happened. And where were his kids? Oh, god, there was an accident. They were dead. '_Ohmygodwherearemykidsohmygod...' _She heard him mumble something about going to find the kids, and she knew she'd better tell him what was going on before he went crazy.

"They're with my dad, Angel. I just figured...it'd be easier for us to talk..."

She looked down at him, seeing he was just getting out of the shower, something she ignored before, and only had a towel wrapped around his body.

"Look, maybe we should talk later. After you get dressed, I mean."

"No. You need to tell me what's going on now."

"Anne..she's...she's a slayer."

Angel's stomach dropped to his feet. It couldn't be possible. But then again...her mother is one, she probably was one too. What was he going to do? What were _they_ going to do?

"How do you know? What proof was there?"

"She was on the swings, and I was pushing her. She got high and couldn't hold on, and she started to fall. But...instead of falling...she landed on her feet. Angel..she was too high up when she let go to be able to land that perfectly on her feet. There's no other explanation."

"Maybe...maybe she was just lucky. This might not mean anything at all. Its probably just luck."

"No, Angel...I don't think so."

"Does she know?"

Buffy hesitated. Did Anne know that her life could end again if she wasn't careful? If the vampires, and demons, and monsters that lurk in the darkness found her and she couldn't protect herself, she would die? No, she didn't know. All she knew was that mommy did that, and daddy used to help. Buffy promised her that Anne wouldn't have to ever go through that. And now? Now, she would have no choice...

"I don't think so. I mean, I didn't say anything, but she knew something was different. Angel, how am I going to tell her? How–."

"Buffy, don't worry. I'll take care of everything."

-+-+-+-+

"You have to do it. Take back what you gave me. I don't need it. Just make everything better for my wife and my daughter."

"You know if we do, everything will change. Your life, the past, and the future."

"I know. But you know what I've requested, and I know what I must give back."

"Are you sure? Do you think you know all?"

Angel's eyes narrowed slightly as they began to glow orange.

**Hehe, sorry for the cliffhanger and the wait. I really didn't continue from the previous chap, but its still in the same time zone. Plus, next chap will hopefully be longer. And it will be coming soon! Yay!**


	3. What We're Fighting For: Part 2

**Promise Me**

"Angel? Angel, baby, please speak to me."

Angel could hear Buffy's voice calling to him, softly begging him to respond to her. Where was he? How did he get to wherever he was? The last thing he remembered was visiting the Oracles...Oh, god. His eyes fluttered open and he came face to face with Buffy's tear stained face. He blinked a few times, trying to adjust his vision, but it only made it more dizzy.

"Buffy?," he rasped out, not sure if it was a dream or if it was real.

"Angel, oh god, what happened to you?"

"Where...am I?"

"You're home, honey. It'll be okay now."

He opened his eyes again and looked around, seeing that she was, indeed telling the truth. He tried to sit up, but she held him down, not wanting him to hurt himself.

"What's going on?," he asked softly. "Didn't it work?"

"Didn't what work? Angel...what are you talking about?"

Before he could answer, he grabbed at his heart in pain, feeling it start to slow down. He began thrashing on the bed, frightening Buffy all the more. She tried to stop him from moving, but she was unsuccessful.

"Buffy!," he screamed before everything became black.

- - - - - - - -

Angel jolted awake with a start. He sat up in his bed and placed a hand on his chest.

No beat.

The look of disappointment flashed across his face as he looked around the room he was in. The apartment underneath the original Angel Investigations office. He let out a sad sigh and scrambled over to the edge of his bed, where the phone was sitting on the bedside table. With a groan he picked it up and dialed.

"Hello?," a cheery voice answered.

He didn't respond.

"Hello?," the voice asked again.

Angel hung up silently, not wanting her to know it was him calling. The purpose of the call was to see if his worst fears were true. It was confirmed; Buffy was no longer with him, but was back in Sunnydale. Did she still have their daughter? What about their son? Angel's eyes widened in realization. The Powers that Be sent him back to after the day that they erased. There is no Anne, and there is no Daniel. Tears came to his eyes briefly, knowing he had neither pieces of his world anymore.

He knew..he had to go to Sunnydale. Riley was there with his love, and he couldn't allow him to hurt either of his girls again. That's why he turned back time in the first place; to protect them. Angel jumped from his bed and began packing his clothes he needed for a small trip to Sunnydale. He was going to bring Buffy back with him.

- - - - - - - -

He arrived in Sunnydale less then three hours later. It took him a while to convince Cordelia and Doyle that he knew what he was doing, and that he'd be okay. He knew Cordelia was stubborn but he couldn't believe the lengths he went to just to get her off his back. Angel had left everything he brought with him in his car, not knowing if Buffy would believe him. And if she did, he wasn't sure if she'd take him back or not after everything he did. Swallowing hard, he raised his hand to knock on the door, when it suddenly opened. His brow furrowed slightly when that happened, but his face then became emotionless once he saw who answered the door. Riley.

"Who are you?"

"A friend. Is Buffy here?"

"Who wants to know?"

Ooh, he was getting frustrated. Seriously frustrated. He suppressed the urge to growl and tried to control his temper. Knowing what this boy really was and what he did just sent him a blind fury. But before his temper got out of control, his blonde goddess came to the door, first with a smile on her face, then anger and pain followed.

"Angel."

"Buffy."

"You know this guy?," Riley interrupted, which made Angel curl his fists up in anger–a reaction that Buffy noticed right away.

"Look, Riley, do you think you can give us some privacy?"

"Im not leaving you here alone with him."

"Who do you think you are?"

She snapped at him, glaring at him now instead of sending daggers at Angel. Angel couldn't hold back the smirk that graced his features when his beloved turned her anger on the boy. If that alone wouldn't give him a happy, nothing would. Riley's expression changed from extremely confident to slightly frightened and annoyed.

"Im not going to leave you here with somebody I don't even know! He could be dangerous!"

"He's not! I know him. Now get out before I throw you out–forcefully."

With a huff, Riley left, but not without bumping shoulders with Angel. Angel growled and turned to grab the boy, but Buffy's hand on his arm stopped him from doing so. Her eyes were still hard when she looked at him, but he could tell most of her anger had been drained once she took it out on Riley.

"Come in, Angel."

Angel sighed audibly when she invited him in, instead of telling him to leave. He walked in silently and closed the door behind himself. She sat on her bed and motioned for him to do the same. He sat down next to her, and awkward silence coming over them. Soon, Angel sliced through it.

"H-how long has it been? Since we saw each other last?," he asked quitely almost in a whisper.

"Two months, three days, five hours, and twenty minutes."

He stared at her for a moment and she blushed under his stare.

"I missed you and...I ended up counting."

He nodded silently, knowing exactly how she felt. He began listening closely to her heartbeat, trying to see if she had another heartbeat inside of her. To his relief, she did. With a slight sob he got up and went in front of her. She watched him, slightly confused of his actions. He got on his knees before her and placed his ear to her stomach, listening to his daughters fast-paced beating heart.

"Angel?," she asked softly, not understanding what he was doing.

"Shh," he whispered. "Listen to her heart beat."

Now she was really confused. What in hell did he mean by that? Slowly, she lifted his head from where he was laying and looked into his eyes; he was crying.

"Buffy, we're going to have a daughter."

"What? Angel, that's impossible, we–"

He silenced her with a short soft kiss and then continued to tell her about the day that never was. By time he finished, they were both sobbing. When they finished talking, the sun was up and he couldn't leave. Buffy decided to skip her classes for the day and she stayed with Angel, sleeping curled up in his embrace for the rest of the afternoon.

- - - - - - -

"What the hell is this?!"

Buffy and Angel both woke up at the angry yell that echoed throughout the dorm room. Angel didn't bother moving from his comfortable position, but Buffy did. Crawling from Angel's arms, she stood, fixing her hair and attempting to speak to Riley without him blowing up at her.

"Riley.."

"What? Are you trying to make up an excuse as to why you just cheated on me?"

"Whoa, whoa, back up. I didn't cheat on you...last night."

"What do you mean? You cheated on me...before this?"

"Yes."

"With him?!"

"Yes."

Riley saw red. His hand came up, in an attempt to strike her, when he found his arm being painfully held in mid-air. Angel had jumped out of bed once he saw Riley's control slipping and he had grabbed his arm just in time, before it made contact with his wife. Riley looked over at the other man and tugged his arm away. He glared at the couple.

"Don't ever come near my wife ever again."

"Wife?"

"Wife," Angel said confidently.

"Well, good luck with a whore for a wife. She sure does get around."

Angel's fist met with Riley's face before he knew it, and he flew back into the door. To, neither Buffy or Angel's surprise, Riley went right through it, breaking it into pieces. Riley was surprised at the amount of strength that came from the man. Holding his bloody nose, he got up from the ground and ran, leaving before Angel could attack him again.

- - - - - - - -

**Eh, it sucked, but with my schedule, it's the best that I could do. Sorry, all!**


End file.
